


The Colour of Blood

by Chichirinoda



Category: Homestuck
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-13
Updated: 2011-07-13
Packaged: 2017-10-21 08:20:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/223055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chichirinoda/pseuds/Chichirinoda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After an unfortunate accident, Karkat and Eridan find out they have a lot more in common with one another than either of them ever suspected. Yeah, it's AU and it's not plausible, but I don't care :|</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Colour of Blood

**Author's Note:**

> Written for kink_bingo for the prompt "Washing/Cleaning"

The Land of Wrath and Angels was depressing as hell after the bright colours of the other worlds. Karkat reflected wryly that there had to be some special category of irony that dictated that a troll who was as obsessed with colour as Eridan was, wound up on this drab, dreary, monochrome world.

The architecture was nice, but not really worth the trip. Not when Karkat had to scuttle nervously from archway to archway, his eyes fixed on the sky overhead. Angels flapped ponderously overhead, their reptilian, torpedo-shaped heads swinging this way and that, as if searching for their next meal. Almost certainly searching for a troll, given how badly Eridan had pissed them off.

Karkat wasn't entirely sure what had possessed him to come here, but it had to be some kind of idiotic, misplaced feeling of responsibility. Eridan was a douchebag, but he was one of the last twelve trolls in the universe, and he hadn't been heard from in hours.

Feferi was in LOBAF with Sollux, unable to check on Eridan herself without backtracking to her own world and getting on her husktop. But more importantly, Karkat was his leader, regardless of whether Eridan wanted to recognize it, so he had left Jack behind and made his way through the gates to LOWAA, rather than asking anyone else to do it.

The shrill cry of an angel had him turning his head and he watched several of them wheeling over a badly-damaged building. The building had collapsed, it looked like, and the angels dove and snarled, scrabbling and biting at the rocks as if trying to dig or get at something underneath the rubble.

"Oh...fuck," Karkat groaned, his heart beginning to pound. "Oh fuck, oh fuck, Eridan, don't be dead, you stupid nooklicking idiot."

He darted towards the building, keeping low, trying to stay in the shadows and under overhangs so that the angels couldn't see him from above. When he drew close to the collapsed building, he stood across the plaza from it for a few moments, assessing. The building was riddled with craters that looked like they must have been caused by blasts from Eridan's weapon. Eventually, the whole thing had just collapsed in on itself, like a Jenga game where most of the lower blocks had been removed.

But there were a few holes where large blocks of masonry had fallen against one another at angles. From the angels' point of view, they were probably invisible, but from the point of view of a short, rather slender troll on the ground, he could probably get inside.

If, of course, said short, slender troll was suicidal and didn't have any serious problems with wriggling into tiny spaces that might collapse at any moment, crushing him to death.

Karkat took a moment to seriously consider just turning around and heading back to the gate.

Then he gathered himself and charged out into the plaza.

The screech of angels made his back prickle, but he didn't look up. He didn't have a gun to fend them off with, only his sickle, which would put them far too close for comfort. Even if he _had_ an effective weapon, he didn't have time to fight them all off. He heard the flap of wings and the whisper of air against feathers and scales, and knew they were diving.

He threw himself at the black maw of a cleft between two fallen chunks of masonry. Reaching forward with both hands, he grabbed onto anything he could reach, pulling himself into the hole. His claws scrabbled on stone, but he found handholds, and kicked his feet uselessly as he dragged himself forward into near-total blackness. At any moment, he expected to feel the score of claws across his exposed legs, hamstringing him.

And then he popped free of the hole and tumbled forward onto polished marble.

He seemed to be inside a chamber that was still relatively intact, though chunks of rock littered the floor. He pushed himself up and looked around, grimacing. Though it had seemed very dark at first, his nocturnal eyes quickly adjusted to the little bit of light filtering in through cracks and holes between the stones.

If Eridan wasn't actually in here, he was going to find him and punch him in the face.

For a moment he thought Eridan _wasn't_ here, but then he picked out a crumpled form that had looked like just another rock at first, until he was able to discern the colours of Eridan's scarf and cape. Karkat darted over to the fallen troll, swearing softly under his breath, and knelt beside him.

"Eridan? Fuck, Eridan? You better not be dead, Ampora!"

He reached out and grabbed Eridan's shoulder, shook him hard, and then pulled him over onto his back, staring worriedly down into his face.

Eridan stirred feebly, his eyelids fluttering. He had been struck on the forehead, and blood had spread downwards across his face in a mask and left a drying patch on the floor. The sight of that blood turned Karkat's stomach and set his whole body quivering as his head spun dizzily.

But it _couldn't_ be blood. Eridan's blood was royal purple.

This liquid, that definitely, definitely couldn't be Eridan's blood, was a bright, candy red. Just like Karkat's blood.

Eridan's eyes flickered open as Karkat stared down at him. The aquatic troll groaned and lifted a beringed hand, rubbing his forehead with a grimace. "Kar?" he asked. "Wwhat are you doin' here?"

He lifted his hand away from the cut on his forehead and looked at it. There was a smear of fresh crimson on his fingers.

"Uh..." Karkat said numbly. It couldn't be Eridan's blood.

It couldn't be.

But where was it coming from?

Eridan stared dumbly at his own fingers for a moment, then up at Karkat. Then something flashed in the royal troll's eyes, and his hand shot out, grabbing Karkat by the throat and squeezing.

The attack was so completely unexpected, Karkat didn't even flinch before Eridan's claws were sinking into the tough skin around his windpipe. He choked and grabbed for Eridan's wrist, his own claws digging in as he fought to free himself, but Eridan was so strong, he seemed to have twice the strength he should.

Karkat flailed and beat at the choking arm, then cocked his free hand and did what he had said he would do before - he punched Eridan right in the face.

Eridan yelped and for a second, Karkat could breathe again. But Eridan surged upwards and fell on Karkat like a hungry beast, bearing the smaller troll to the floor. Eridan slammed Karkat's head against the marble, and Karkat kicked him, heaving against his weight.

Suddenly, even as blackness started to nibble at the edges of Karkat's vision, he had an idea.

He dug his fingers into Eridan's side, hoping it was true that aquatic trolls had gills there.

He felt something, under Eridan's shirt. Something that fluttered against his fingers, and he ground his claws into the spot.

Eridan howled and released him, scuttling away and curling into a protective ball, his teeth bared and a snarl on his lips.

Karkat didn't pursue him. He pulled out his sickle and brandished it at the other troll, his own lips peeled back in an answering snarl. He coughed and rubbed his throat with his free hand, growling. "What the fuck is the big idea?!"

"I wwon't let you cull me, Kar," Eridan sneered, glaring at the sickle. "I wwon't! You came here to finish me off, huh? Wwell you can just go fuck yourself! I'm still better than all a you dirty blooded wworms! I knoww I am, because I'vve got the gills to provve it, so just fuck the fuck off!" Eridan's voice rose to a hysterical pitch as he ranted.

Karkat found himself lowering his sickle to his side and resisting the urge to either hug Eridan or beat his own head against the nearest solid object until he fell unconscious.

"You stupid fucking wriggler," he said quietly. Tears pricked at his own eyes. "Why would I cull you?"

That seemed to get Eridan's attention. He sat up a little more, drawing his knees up towards his chest, and looked warily at Karkat. "Wwhy wwouldn't you? I'm a fuckin' freak. Not evven anywwhere on the hemospectrum."

Karkat gritted his teeth. "Okay _first of all_ , there are only twelve trolls left in the entire fucking universe. You really think we can afford to just go around culling each other? Try to keep up, Ampora! And secondly--"

He stumbled to a halt, swallowing. He could finish this sentence. He had to.

"Secondly," he said, very softly. "You're not the only one here who's a freak."

Eridan paused, then waved a hand dismissively. "Sol doesn't count! Evveryone knowws he's a freak, and wwith his psychic powwers no one givves a damn about a couple a extra horns. That's different!"

"No, you moron!" Karkat snapped. Gog, he just couldn't say it. Not out loud.

He swore again and raised his sickle, ignoring the way Eridan shrank back nervously. He had to have lost his gun when the building collapsed on top of him, or Karkat was sure he'd have it in his hands. And probably when he shot it the rest of the damn place would have fallen on their heads, so it was a good thing the idiot didn't have it.

Grimacing, Karkat shoved his long sleeve up to the elbow and then sliced into the skin of his forearm, drawing a shallow gash with the tip of his sickle. Eridan hissed in nervous confusion, then went very quiet.

Karkat couldn't look at him. He was transfixed by the crimson blood that welled up and began to drip down his arm, pattering lightly on the marble floor.

He heard a swishing sound of fabric on stone and looked up, a surge of panic sending his heart skittering in his chest again. Eridan was moving closer to him, his eyes wide and bright with shock.

"I don't get it, Kar," he said in a strangled voice. "Wwhy are you bleedin' red like that?"

Karkat swallowed hard, but gave Eridan a sarcastic look. "Guess."

He held his ground with difficulty as the aquatic troll reached for him. He couldn't stop himself from staring at trickle of fresh crimson blood that ran down Eridan's forehead and along the side of his nose, then to the corner of his mouth and dripped off of his chin. Crimson. Bright, mutated crimson, just like Karkat's.

"I thought I wwas the only one," Eridan murmured. He curled his fingers around Karkat's arm, drawing it closer so he could inspect the wound. Karkat bore it, though there was a part of him - a part he'd nursed practically since he was a grub, when he first realized that a single scratch in front of the wrong troll could end his life - that wanted to jump up and run.

He imagined Eridan felt exactly the same way.

"I thought so, too," Karkat said, reaching up to clean away some of the blood from Eridan's face with his sleeve. "How the hell did you get away with this for so long?"

Eridan shrugged, rolling his shoulders a little and ducking his head. "Didn't go in the wwater much," he said quietly. "Fef thought it wwas because I'm in lovve with land dwwellers or some fuckin' nonsense. But it wwasn't that. There's a lot a things that can cut you, under the sea. And besides, you can tell, if you look close enough at my gills."

Karkat nodded. "I just...never really left my hive," he admitted wryly. "You never knew when something could happen that might result in a cut or bruise. Safer just to be an ornery, antisocial troll with no friends except ones I saw on Trollian."

The two fell silent for a few moments, together in the dark, with the soft cries of the angry angels the only sounds other than their breathing.

"Hey, Kar?" Eridan said finally.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry for, you knoww, tryin' to kill you an all."

Karkat snorted. "It's okay."

He looked up at Eridan, and was startled to see a rather soft, wistful expression on the other troll's face. Great. Here we go.

Unfortunately, it was hard to work up a good head of negativity towards that look. A voice whispered urgently in the back of Karkat's mind, telling him that this was his chance. It was the same voice that, up to now, had assured him that he could never, ever get into a concupiscent flushed or caliginous relationship with anyone, certainly not another troll, so it was best to keep them at a distance. Now it whispered that _Eridan_ , at least, wouldn't cull him for filling a pail with genetic material that was tinged with candy red instead of a normal colour.

Against his will, he recalled one of his favourite movies. It was one of the more dramatic ones he owned, less emphasis on the comedic, though there were still a lot of funny moments. The land dweller in that one was quite low on the hemospectrum, and his matesprit was an aquatic troll. The sex scene took place on the beach, as the tide rolled in over them, and was one of the hottest he had ever--

Okay, woah, he needed to stop thinking about that right the fuck now.

"So all that bullshit about blood and royalty was just to cover for your mutated blood, huh?" Karkat said quickly, narrowing his eyes at Eridan. Distraction, distraction.

Eridan flushed a little, and now that he knew to look for it, Karkat could see the reddish cast of it. "I wwouldn't say that," he said imperiously. "Blood is fuckin' important! Just because I don't havve the purple blood that's my fuckin' birthright, doesn't mean it ain't vvalid. If it wweren't for one little mutation in my genes, I'd havve that purple blood."

"But you _don't_ have it," Karkat shot back.

Eridan grimaced. "I don't see wwhat that has to do wwith anythin' of relevvance."

Karkat rolled his eyes. "Other than you being an insufferable twit? Nothing."

Eridan reached out towards him. Karkat stiffened in surprise, and Eridan closed his hand around Karkat's shoulder, and pulled him forward. With a gasp, Karkat found himself against the other troll's chest, with strong arms winding themselves around him.

He flailed, but Eridan tightened his grip and he fell still, his heart beating a mile a minute. Or was that Eridan's, under his ear?

"Hey, hey, fuckin' relax, Kar."

"L-let go, Ampora."

Eridan was silent for a moment. "You really wwant me to do that?"

Karkat curled his fist in Eridan's shirt and buried his face. Eridan was a pain in the ass, always trolling him for advice he should have been getting from his moirail, only he was too flushed for his moirail, which was why he needed the advice in the first place.

The stupid idiot was so wrapped up in his bullshit about rank and blood and the ridiculous rivalry between the land dwelling trolls and the aquatic ones, yet he couldn't seem to leave the land dwellers alone, and wound up hitting on nearly every one he knew, regardless of blood colour.

This stupid, arrogant, violent wriggler, had the same blood as Karkat. And suddenly all of Eridan's insecurities and loneliness and ridiculous hang-ups made sense.

And fucking hell. Karkat couldn't help but pity him for it, because he felt so damn sorry for himself already.

Eridan lifted a hand and rubbed the back of Karkat's head, kneading his scalp with clawed fingers. "I'd treat you wwell, Kar," he said softly. "And no one wwould havve to knoww about our blood."

"Are you seriously hitting on me right now?" Karkat growled, but there was no heat in it. He huddled a little closer, hating himself for it.

"Yeah. Somethin' wwrong wwith that?"

Karkat opened his mouth and closed it. He was petrified. There was no real reason to be, but he was, anyway. Six sweeps of trying to keep people at bay couldn't be set aside in a matter of minutes. But Eridan had to be feeling the same way, and he seemed to be ready to take the plunge.

But then, when wasn't he? Karkat wondered what Eridan would have done if someone had accepted his advances.

A moment later he realized he already knew the answer. That was why Vriska had eventually gotten bored with their kismesisitude. Eridan hadn't been willing to put out.

He felt a little ill, and shyly slipped his arms around Eridan's waist. Eridan let out a sigh and Karkat felt his chin come to rest on top of his head.

Stupid tall asshole. Karkat felt tiny next to him.

"So wwhat do you say?" Eridan whispered, one hand rubbing up and down Karkat's spine, and the other still caressing his hair.

"Yeah...okay," Karkat grunted, his tone more grudging than he felt. "Sure, we can be matesprits." He froze. "I mean, if that's what you were proposing. If not, no big deal."

Eridan chuckled, and Karkat could hear the relief in it. "Yeah, that's wwhat I wwas proposin'."

Karkat felt like a complete idiot. "Well...fine, then," he said grumpily.

They fell silent for a few moments, then Eridan straightened a little. "I'm gonna wwash off this blood, Kar," he said, grimacing.

"Wash it off?" Karkat looked at him as if he were nuts. "How? In case you hadn't noticed, we're trapped in a destroyed building with angels patrolling outside."

Eridan smiled ruefully. "Wwhy do you think I'm fuckin in _this_ building, Kar? There's wwater."

The aquatic troll tried to stand and nearly fell, cursing as a wave of dizziness accosted him. Soon Karkat had him steadied, an arm across his shoulders and Eridan leaning heavily on him as they shuffled towards a dark corner of the room. Karkat was too short for it to be comfortable, but they managed.

Karkat heard the water before he saw it. In the corner of the room, half-buried, was the remains of a fountain. The statue in the centre was smashed, but half of the water-filled basin was still clean and open to the air, except for a few rocks that had splashed into it.

He lowered Eridan to sit on the edge, and the taller troll began to pull off his clothes. Karkat stepped back a couple of paces, eyes wide and cheeks flushed as Eridan pulled off his shirt and cast it aside. The gills under his arms were gaping and closing rhythmically, and Karkat could see deep crimson structures inside as they opened wide. One of them had a trickle of blood running from the edge.

Eridan was right - there was no way he could hide what he was for long under water, even though the aquatic trolls usually wore clothing when they swam.

Karkat realized he was standing there, blushing like a wriggler and staring at Eridan's body with his mouth hanging open like a dead fish.

They were matesprits now, right? That meant he had to act like one, even if his stomach was fluttering up somewhere around his windpipe, and his feet felt like they weighed a million pounds.

Slowly he walked to Eridan and dropped to one knee, hiding his blushing face by looking down. "Here," he said gruffly, reaching for Eridan's fly. "Let me help you. You'll probably fall in and drown or something."

"I can't--" Eridan started, then closed his mouth and smiled. "Thanks, Kar."

Karkat nearly bolted when Eridan reached for his own shirt to return the favour. He was no aquatic troll, and probably would have been a lowblood even if he hadn't been cursed by this mutation. He was short and a little stubby, not tall and statuesque like highblood trolls, like Gamzee. Eridan might not actually _have_ purple blood, but he definitely put stock in the hemospectrum. He would definitely be disappointed in Karkat.

But he held his ground stubbornly and concentrated on pulling Eridan's pants off without letting his hands shake too badly.

This was the stupidest, most moronic idea he'd ever had. What made him think that he could have a matesprit? Even one who was mutated and freakish like he was?

He cooperated as Eridan pulled his shirt off, then snuck a look up at him, though he really didn't want to see that flicker of disappointment when Eridan confirmed the lack of gills, of any sign that Karkat had been destined to be a highblood.

He didn't see disappointment. He saw a blush, though, and an almost gentle look of pleasure in Eridan's smile.

"Hey, Kar," Eridan said, reaching out to brush light fingers against Karkat's cheek. "You wwant to get in wwith me?"

"Uh..." Karkat said stupidly. He blinked and somehow managed to get hold of himself. "Yeah. Sure. But I can't breathe underwater."

"It's only a couple a inches deep, anyway," Eridan said wryly. "I think you'll be okay."

Karkat grumbled and got to his feet, not looking at Eridan as he stripped off the rest of his clothes. And helped Eridan to his feet. And stepped into the fountain.

The water was cool, but not freezing. It felt rather nice as they sank down to sit, and it came up to just below the chest. Eridan settled back against the edge of the pool and dragged Karkat against him with an arm around his shoulders, and Karkat fought a yelp.

 _I can do this,_ he told himself, settling against Eridan's chest. Why hadn't anyone warned him about the muscles Eridan hid under that sweater? And the scars. _I just have to...distract myself somehow._

Suddenly an idea hit him, and he sat up.

"Evverythin' okay?" Eridan asked with a tinge of worry in his voice.

"Fine." Karkat said. "Shut up."

He nerved himself, then climbed into Eridan's lap. The taller troll stiffened in surprise but didn't stop him as Karkat straddled his thighs and pulled a spare towel out of his sylladex, dunking it in the water.

"Wwhat are you--"

"I said, shut up," Karkat said, not unkindly, and lifted the towel to dab at the cut on Eridan's forehead.

Eridan closed his eyes and hissed softly, but wrapped his arms around Karkat's waist and massaged his lower back with his fingertips. Karkat paused, flushing self-consciously, but decided it felt good. Besides, it was encouraging, so he went on with what he was doing, wetting the towel again to wash the worst of the blood off and then working the soft fabric against the grey skin, lightly scouring away the dried blood.

As he worked, Eridan rested his head back against the edge of the fountain. Slowly, the bigger troll's hands began to wander further, one hand rubbing up and down Karkat's spine. The other dropped to Karkat's thigh and squeezed, and Karkat swallowed an embarrassing noise.

He wasn't really sure why. Maybe it was that they were both naked, or the way Eridan's hands were rubbing his skin, even if he wasn't going too near anything sensitive. But Karkat was starting to get really turned on.

"Hey, Kar?" Eridan murmured suddenly, as Karkat finally unearthed the tiny cut from under the caked blood. It was only half an inch long, but of course head wounds bled a lot. It was startling to confirm how small it was, but good to see that it was only oozing a tiny bit of blood. Karkat discarded the towel and pressed his thumb to the cut to encourage it to scab up again, taking the opportunity to scratch fingers through Eridan's soft hair.

"Yeah?" he replied. He was breathing way too fast to be normal considering they hadn't even done anything, and his voice was breathless and a little raw as he spoke.

The hand on his thigh was sliding upwards and Karkat was pretty sure he might explode. He wasn't sure if it was going to be from Eridan touching him or from him _not_ touching him, but exploding was definitely a thing that was going to happen.

"Think I'm gonna kiss you noww, if you don't mind."

Karkat looked up and met Eridan's gaze, which could be described as smouldering. Actually, he couldn't think of any _other_ word for that look.

"Eridan?"

"Yeah?"

"For Gog's sake. Shut up."

Eridan kissed him, and oh fuck, Karkat was going to drown after all.

There was heat in that kiss, and Eridan's tongue was in his mouth, and Karkat was pretty sure that Eridan and Vriska had kissed before, because this was definitely not Eridan's first foray into the world of kissing. Karkat let out a humiliating whimpering moan and Eridan's arms encircled his waist again, dragging him right up against his chest.

Karkat dropped the towel into the water beside them and wrapped both arms around Eridan's neck, pressing close.

He didn't really know what was going to happen now, and thinking about it was making his skin tingle and his heart hammer in his chest, but he decided that whatever happened from here, it couldn't possibly be as bad as what he'd had before.

There was one troll he didn't need to hide from. Even if it was probably the last person he'd ever thought it could be, he knew that there was one person, at least, who understood.


End file.
